1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates generally to apparatus and methods for controlling flow of solid particles in a fluid flowing from a formation into a wellbore.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrocarbons such as oil and gas are recovered from a subterranean formation using a wellbore drilled into the formation. Such wells are typically completed by placing a casing along the wellbore length and perforating the casing adjacent to each production zone to extract the formation fluids into the wellbore. These production zones are sometimes separated by installing a packer between the production zones. Fluid from each production zone entering the wellbore is drawn into a tubing that runs to the surface. Substantially even drainage along the production zone is desirable, as uneven drainage may result in undesirable conditions such as an invasive gas cone or water cone. Uneven drainage may be caused by clogging or plugging of particle filtering devices, such as sand screens.
In some instances, particle filtering devices may experience wear and tear from the impact of particles from the formations causing additional restrictions of fluid flow. Accordingly, the maintenance and replacement of such devices can be costly during operation of a wellbore. Therefore, it is desired to provide apparatus and methods for removal of particles from the production fluid with reduced incidences of plugging and to provide sufficient robustness to withstand the impact of particles.
The present disclosure provides apparatus and methods for filtering particles from a production fluid that addresses some of the needs described herein.